Order and Chaos
by Hiryuu
Summary: A story taking place in an HP universe, with original characters! When our heroes have finished with Hogwarts and gone their seperate ways, what could possibly bring them all together five years later?
1. Prologue; or, Through the Looking Glass

Prologue; or, Through the Looking Glass

Every story has a certain degree of truth to it.  No matter how farfetched it seems, how ridiculous it sounds, there is always a nugget of reality contained within, from when it was not a story, but actual events.  Of course, the interesting conclusion you can draw from this is that everything is true, including falsehoods.  Certain lawyers have actually tried arguing this before, that lies are truth, as the lie is in and of itself honest.  They were then summarily executed.

But the point is that there is always a grain of truth in every myth.  The ones about the world's creation for example.  None of them can really be considered true, as the creation cannot be described by words.  But there's still something to each of them.  Each is a different perspective on the same series of events.  The odd thing, though, is that all of them missed a rather large bit of creation.  But the missed object, well, perhaps there's a reason that it was missed....

From Creation, flash forward.  But here and there, watch.  Flickers of colored light.  Something that defies human comprehension.

22 years ago, watch.  A man corrupted by his own lust for power, attacks an innocent child.  And, amazingly enough, the infant defeats him, almost kills him.  It violates every expectation, but yet, somehow, it happens.  And as the house is destroyed by the backwash of the spell, a faint gold glimmer fades out.

8 years ago, watch.  A young man, standing on the cusp of adulthood, bows his head as he completes an ancient ritual.  A golden light surrounds him, dancing gleefully, randomly, chaotically around him, as an unseen presence accepts him.  He raises his head, a mischievious grin on his face as his now-light brown eyes twinkle.  In a corner, his mentor's smile fades as a silent voice whispers something in her ear.

5 years ago, watch.  A fierce battle rages in the halls of an ancient castle.  The Dark Wizard is destroyed, once and for all.  In the Great Hall, a young man with white hair and pale, ice blue eyes leans against a wall, glowing a faint red, and staring vacantly at the body before him.  The other walks in, green eyes blank, face lacking any expression whatsoever.  Both are sick and tired of the fighting that has defined their lives.  War has been the only reality for both of them for many years, and they are ready for peace to begin.  But only one is truly sick of war;  the other, though wearied, will still fight if he must.  And eventually, he will.

Watch now.  A green flash of power, of light, of magic.  Everything is about to change once again....


	2. Chapter 1; or, Getting the Ball Rolling

Chapter 1; or, Getting the Ball Rolling

Disclaimer:  Harry Potter & his universe are owned & created by the goddess of fiction JK Rowling.  I'm not using the first and borrowing a warped version of the second, but she still created it all.

Author's Note:  This takes place in what I affectionately refer to as the "Our Hogwarts" Universe.  Almost all the characters are actually personas on the "Our Hogwarts" online RPG board.  I cannot thank these guys enough, for both letting me use their alter-egos without supervision and for not having the good sense to send me packing ages ago.  So, anyway.  Don't expect to have Harry or any of the usual characters show up--at most, they're getting a cameo.  And now, on with the show!!

Firstly, it was NOT a dark and stormy night.  Although an epic quest would seem to require that the heroes be informed of their mission on a dark and foreboding night, with lightning flashes occasionally illuminating their faces quite dramatically, life just doesn't work out that way sometimes.  

It was, in fact, a very pleasant morning.  The sun was shining brightly, birds were chirping happily, the temperature was neither too hot nor too cold....it was hard to imagine a more beautiful day.  In Diagon Alley, the center of the British wizarding world, shops were just beginning to open for business.  Wizards and witches were heading to their places of business, getting ready for another day on the job.  And in the middle of it all, at one of the world's very very few magical Starbucks, a young woman sat in a chair by the window, sipping some highly caffeinated drink and watching the crowd pass by.  Suddenly, as one certain figure passed by, her eyes locked on their figure.  Without a second word, she placed her cup in the duly designated receptacle, and headed out the door.

**********

Mark Powell walked down the street towards the Ministry of Magic, Magical Artifacts Division's headquarters.  Occasionally, he would get odd looks from the passerby--after all, an obviously young man with white hair and silver-blue eyes tended to attract some notice, no matter where he went.  However, at this point, all that he really wanted to do was to get to work.  Unfortunately for him, the large crowds made it rather hard to get where he was going with any sort of speed.  Mark  looked around for a moment, obviously contemplating something.  Ducking out of the crowd into a relatively deserted alley, he muttered a quick chant, snapping his fingers.  Immediately, he rose several feet into the air, before disappearing from sight.  As he zipped off unnoticed above the crowds, a young woman peered into the alley, rather confused.  Then, she muttered something uncomplimentary, and walked off quickly.

Mark landed in front of the front doors of the Ministry a few moments later.  He was about to enter into the building as he did every morning, but suddenly noticed that something was very different today.  For one thing, there was the line of bright yellow light surrounding the front of the building as a warning.  Also, the entire main entranceway was....well, it was no longer there.

"What the...."  Mark's jaw dropped momentarily.  Then, his eye fell upon a familiar figure standing by the warning light, and quickly hurried over.  "Nick, what the bloody hell is going on here?!"

The white-haired Auror turned around grimly at the sound of his old friend's voice.  "No clue, Mark.  All I know is I got called out of bed at 3:30 AM this morning with a report of one helluva explosion in Diagon Alley.  I get down here, and find a couple dozen Aurors staring at the mess.  We've really just started to investigate, though."

"Great...."  Mark sighed.  "You know what this feels like, don't you."  It was less of a question than a flat-out statement.

"Yeah."  Both young men looked at each other, then at the ground beneath their feet.  Even now, one could see the difference in pavement, a clear border between the old and the new.  The new pavement came from the time six years ago that the Death Eaters had attacked the Ministry.  The entire building had been destroyed, along with a large amount of Diagon Alley surrounding it.  The new building had just opened less than nine months earlier, and now....

"Do you think it could be--them?"  Mark wasn't even going to mention the Death Eaters at this point--anyone who was listening might begin to be panicked.  Heck, Mark himself was rather worried at this point.

"I don't know."  Nick let out a large sigh.  "I mean, they are still out there--we didn't get all of them in the war.  And there aren't many people who have the capabilities to do this sort of thing.  But we're not honestly sure yet."

"Right."  Mark nodded slowly.  "Were there any deaths?"

"Thank L-sama, no."  Nick said.  "It was 3 AM or so, meaning almost no one was in the building, except for security.  And none of them were in the area of the blast."

"That's a plus."  Mark replied.  "I guess I'm gonna make the best of this and call in sick.  Besides, no one's going to be getting much work done here today."

"Except for me, who gets to stand around here and look for clues.  Huzzah."  Nick grumbled quietly.

"Yes, well, that's why they pay you the big money, neh?"  Mark chuckled as he headed down the street into the more commercial section of Diagon Alley.

"Yeah, big money.  Shyeah, right, Mark."  Nick muttered before turning back to the remains of the building's entranceway.

**********

Suiting actions to words, Mark entered into Diagon Alley.  As he was window-shopping, glancing in various shops and simply enjoying the day, his peaceful reverie was suddenly and abruptly interrupted as he bumped into someone else.

"Ooof!!"  Mark stumbled, dropping to one knee momentarily.  He stood quickly, looking at his fellow marketplace visitor.  It was a young woman, about his age.  She had long auburn hair in a ponytail, and was hastily picking up a worn leather journal and quill.  But the most noticeable thing about her was her bright green eyes--they seemed to almost glitter with some inner light.

"I'm, uh, sorry--"  Mark's apology was abruptly cut off as the woman looked hard at him.  His uncertainty kept increasing for a moment, until she spoke.

"Are you Mark Powell?"  Mark raised an eyebrow at this.

"Unless I owe you money, yes."

"Good."  The young woman straightened herself up.  "Beware!!"

"....I beg your pardon?"  Mark gave her a mildly confused stare.

"Beware, Mark Powell!  For if you do not listen--"  she paused momentarily, flipping through her journal until she arrived at one particular page, "--listen to the....the....Hey, where're you going?!!"

Mark looked back at her, having put some distance between them while she was prophesying.  "Look, lady.  I've had plenty of ominous prophecies recited at me, most of which just ended up getting me & my friends in life-and-death troubles.  So, I hope you understand exactly why I have no desire to listen to ANOTHER one, all right?  Goodbye."  With that, he kept walking away.  Suddenly, though, he stopped dead in the middle of the street as a half-forgotten voice registered in his mind, somehow skipping the usual middle step of the ears.

'Have You So Soon Forgotten Your Vows, My Priest?'  Mark looked around wildly.  He had only really heard the voice once in his life--nearly a decade earlier, when he had sworn various oaths and been declared a priest of the Lord of Nightmares.  Admittedly, a decade was a long time to remember one voice, but when your chosen deity speaks to you, it tends to stick in your mind.  

_*L-sama?*  Mark thought/prayed hastily, attempting to see if he had been hearing things, or if some higher power really was at work again.  __*L-sama, are you there?*_

'I Am Here, Priest.  But You Should Not Ignore Prophecies, Especially When They Concern You.'

_*Prophecy?  What--?*_

'Listen Well, My Priest.  I Will Talk With You Again In One Day's Time.  There Is A Task That You Have Been Chosen To Complete, That Only You Can Fulfill.  I Will Tell You More At The Appointed Time.  Now, Go.'

_*L-sama?*  However, this time, there was no response.  Mark opened his eyes.  "Shit...."  he muttered.  Then, he spun around.  The young woman was gone._

"Shit."  He sighed heavily, then started walking.  "It frickin' figures.  Prophecies, chosen ones, tasks to complete for a goddess....Wonderful.  Ah, well.  At least I'm ahead of the game.  I mean, at Hogwarts, I would've been running around frantically, not knowing what the next step is and without any of the facts.  Now, I'm WALKING frantically, not knowing what the next step is and without any of the facts."  With that little observation, Mark kept walking, plans and hopes flitting through his head as he prepared as best he could.


	3. Chapter 2; or, Getting (Re-)Acquainted

Chapter 2; or, Getting (Re-)Acquainted

Disclaimer:  If you've ever read any HP fanfiction before, you know the drill.  I'm not going to waste more time than necessary reiterating the usual.

Mark sighed.  The past afternoon and evening had been far more exhausting than he ever could have anticipated.  Calling together all of his old friends, getting his affairs in order, rituals to increase and rebuild his power levels...heck, he had even tried some basic forms of divination.  The most effective, he had found, was Tarot readings.  And he hadn't liked the results.

The past card had signified obligation--no real shocker there.  The present, Wheel of Fortune--meaning that there wasn't going to be much information he could get out of the cards.  And the future card....Death.  

He frowned, almost unconsciously.  Death was not necessarily a bad thing; it just meant change, a large one.  But still, before starting a divine quest, a Death card was not something you wanted to see.

Mark took a deep breath as he looked up.  Looming there before him was the castle where he had spent his formative years.  Where he had met lifelong friends, fought too many battles to count, and somehow graduated.  The place where he had seen people die, where he had caused people to die, where he himself had nearly died more than once.

_*And apparently,* he grinned, _*the place that brings out your horribly mutated and non-existent poetic talents!*_  With that little brightening thought, he approached the front gates and banged hard on the ancient wood several times.  A moment later, the door swung open, creaking slightly as it did.  A familiar face stood there, waiting for him._

"Nick.  Very good to see you again."  Mark said calmly.  Nick Dumbledore, currently Hogwarts' Transfiguration professor, nodded.  The two of them had never been close friends, but had almost always ended up fighting on the same side against various Dark opponents.  And now, Nick had agreed to help him out in this difficult situation.

"Good to see you too, Mark."  Nick replied.  "But you said that it was something urgent?"

"Good God, Nick, at least let him into the castle!!"  A rather familiar female voice rang out, and Nick mock-winced, with a slight smile playing on his lips.  A woman walked up behind him and gave Mark a quick hug.  Neptune Dumbledore, neé Centari, grinned at Mark momentarily.  Mark smiled back at the eight-months pregnant Charms professor.  She and Nick had been one of Hogwarts' most noticeable couples, and absolutely no one had been surprised when they had gotten married less than six months after Nick's graduation.

  


After a moment, Neptune grabbed Mark's arm and bodily pulled him inside the castle threshold.  "All right, Mark.  We've got a room for us to meet in."

"Wow, I....thanks."  Mark stammered, not quite believing that two Hogwarts professors had dropped everything to help him with something he wasn't even sure of yet.  Admittedly, they were old friends, but still....

"Mark, we trust you."  Mark whipped his head around to give Nick a piercing look.  The young man stared right back at him, until Mark dropped his gaze, realizing that some of his surprise must have shown on his face.  "Look, Mark.  Every time you and prophecy gets mentioned in the same breath, we've learned that it's some sort of pan-dimensional potentially-world-destroying crisis in the making.  Getting a room set up is the LEAST we could do!"  Mark chuckled at Nick's words as they stopped in front of a familiar door.

"Teachers' Lounge."  Mark grinned for a moment.  "Man, the number of times I tried to sneak in here, see what they were hiding...."  
  
"Not much."  Neptune wryly remarked.  "Ever make it in?"  
  


"Once.  Though after I got out of the empty room and back to the dorm, there was a nice little note from Dumbledore about how I should try and make sure I was less detectable next time I tried something in that vein.  Freaked me out enough to keep me from breaking curfew for at least a month!"  All three former classmates grinned at memories of their school days before heading into the room.

**********

As he entered, Mark looked around him.  A handful of people were in the room, waiting for him.  He found it hard to keep a proud and happy smile from stretching ear to ear; here was a group of powerful and famous people, willing to help him out.  But more importantly--here were his most trusted friends, people who he could and had trusted his life with, and who had the same trust in him.  

"Mark!"  Mary O'Toole-Hamilton, one of the top Aurors in the business, stood up to greet Mark, her husband and partner Lee at her side.  Mark nodded in acknowledgement, his gaze falling over all the people in the room as he walked across the room.  There, next to them, was the stage actress and Firewitch Aquayanna Zire.  Amy Macnair-Malfoy, head of the Auror's Infirmary, white magician, and considered to be one of the top-ranked duelists in the country.  Errol Mahina-Nimbus, owner and CEO of Nimbus Brooms.  Kaimana Ualani Nimbus-Mahina, werecat, highly accomplished witch, and the woman that Mark had been in love with for several years.  

Kaimana gave Mark a searching glance.  In the back of his mind, he could feel her questioning, through a small bond the two of them had shared since the end of school.  He simply raised an eyebrow in response, trying to convey a message of 'let me explain to everyone at once' in that one gesture.  Kai sighed at him, settling back in the couch as he stood in front of all of them, waiting.

After a moment, Mark cleared his throat.  Everybody turned to look at him, waiting.  "First, I just want to thank everyone for actually coming.  I know you all have important stuff to do, lives of your own, and....well, I just wanted to thank you.  Now, I know you're probably wondering just _why_ I called you all--"

"Mark!"  Aqua called out, interrupting him.  "Look, as much as we all like you, you are NOT cut out for the whole dramatic presentation thing.  Take it from someone in the business; just go ahead and tell us why the hell we're all here!"  The slight tension in the room was shattered with the laughter generated by that one remark, as Mark turned red and laughed himself.

"Right.  Thank you, Aqua, for the ego deflation, oh prima donna.  ANYway.  This is pretty serious--serious along the lines of those world-threatening quests we always used to get caught up in.  This could be as bad as that whole wonderful Crystal of Light thing."  He, Aqua, and Kai all involuntarily winced at the mention of that artifact, which had possessed Kai and Aqua, and then very nearly killed all three of them.  

"Wait a minute, though."  Kai cut in.  "You said COULD be as bad.  What is that supposed to mean?!"

Mark winced.  "Well, that's the tricky part.  See, I'm not entirely certain as to what this is going to involve.  Look, here's what I know.  Yesterday, some girl started telling me to hark and beware, the usual.  I was walking away without listening, like usual, except something unusual happened.  L-sama spoke to me."

"L-sama?"  Neptune asked, mildly confused.  "What are you talking about?  Who the heck is L-sama?"

"The Lord of Nightmares, Chaos incarnate."  Mark responded solemnly.  "And one of two deities that I have sworn service to.  In fact, I'm probably Her last priest, as far as I know."

"Your GOD spoke to you?"  Amy gave Mark a skeptical look.  "No offense, Mark, but....God?"  
  
"_A_ god, but yes, it was.  And I know it was, because I've heard that voice before, and it is NOT easy to forget."

"What did it sound like?"  Lee asked him.

"Weeeell...."  Mark trailed off, "you should be hearing it yourself very  soon."

"WHAT?"  Nick barked.  "What does THAT mean?"  
  


"Look," Mark sighed, "L-sama told me that in one day, She would explain what she meant by a quest.  So, as it's almost exactly twenty-four hours later right now, She should be getting in contact any minute now."  
  
'Indeed, My Priest.'  The voice flowed through the room, stopping everyone dead in their tracks.  Except for Mark.

"Man, L-sama.  And they criticize MY so-called flair for the dramatic.  Eeesh."

'Who Are These Others, Priest?'

"Them?"  Mark gestured casually.  "They're my friends.  Been through a lotta quests with them, and I trust them with my life.  Meaning that anything You want to say to me, they can hear too."

'Very Well.  But I Will Explain In My Domain.'

Mark blinked once.  "Um....YOUR domain?  The Sea of Chaos?  No offense, L-sama, but, uh, that's kind of outside reality at large, and no one knows any kind of spell that can get us there."

'I Am Afraid That You Are Mistaken.  My Chosen Priests, Always Few In Number, Have Always Received The Knowledge Of The Four Spells Of Giga."

"FOUR?"  Mark stood there, stunned into silence momentarily.  "I only know two, and I don't LIKE casting them!  Heck, Giga Slave could make the whole freaking world go boom!"

'Yes, Giga Slave, The Ultimate Spell Of Destruction.  Giga Resurrection, The Ultimate Spell Of Healing.  And Two Others, Which You Know, Yet Know Not.'

"Look, just tell me what You're talking about!!"

'Let the Sealed Spell Be Remembered Once More, My Priest.'  Mark blinked once in confusion, then suddenly grabbed his head in both hands as a mental block was forceably dissolved.  A spell, once learned by him before promptly being sealed away, abruptly floated back into his conscious mind.  He then muttered a _very annoyed curse or two at the spirit of Lina Inverse, who had obviously done this to him, 'for his own protection', as she would've put it.  After regaining his poise, Mark turned and weakly smiled at his former classmates.  _

  
"Well, you heard the nice deity.  Let's go see what's so important that She gave me access to the THIRD Giga spell."  
  


"THIRD?!"  Lee cried out in shock.  "What, the first two weren't bad enough?"  
  
"Not to mention on a barely related topic," Aqua chimed in, "how exactly do we go about seeing a god in person?  I mean, I tend to doubt that they're on the Floo Network."

"As I said before, the third Giga spell--Giga's Gate."  Mark sighed, concentrating and gathering the raw magical energy he needed to fuel this spell.

**_"Power beyond the known powers, _**

**_deeper than the deepest mind, _**

**_King of Darkness, Queen of Light, _**

**_shining like gold upon the Sea of Chaos, _**

**_I call upon thee, swear myself to thee, _**

**_let the knowledge we possess be as one... _**

**_GIGA'S GATE!"_**

A golden light appeared in the center of the room, coalescing into a round, fluctuating portal.  Mark looked back at everyone, then sighed.  "All right, then.  I'll go in first."  And then, without a second thought, he stepped through the portal.

**********

A few moments later, they were all standing on the shores of the Sea of Chaos.  The Sea itself hurt to look at for too long--a horizonless expanse of golden energy, liquid light, fluid entropy.  It was infinite, but yet, the group of humans was standing on the shore that ringed the Sea.  And if you can't wrap your mind around that sort of concept, then you really shouldn't be there in the first place.

Mark looked around for a moment, then down at the Sea.  "OK, L-sama, I'm here!  WE'RE here!  Now, could You please explain?!!"

'Yes.  Your Quest Is To Gather The Forbidden.  They Are Artifacts Of Forbidden Power, Capable Of Wreaking Inconceivable Damage Upon The Fabric Of Our Reality.  I Cannot Track These Artifacts, By Their Very Nature, So You Must Collect Them.  You Will Have Aid Delivered To You.  Once The Next Step Is Upon Us, I Will Contact You Once Again.  Now, You Should Return Home To Begin This Quest.'

"........"  Mark stared in silence at the Sea for a moment.  "That's all You're going give us, isn't it."  It was less of a query than a statement of fact.

'Yes.'

"OK, fine.  I'm going.  But I want an official protest lodged in whatever passes for books around here, all right?"  And with that, the nine humans were transported back to their own realm.


	4. Chapter 3; or, How to Succeed In a Quest...

_A flickering light in the darkness.  A candle's flame, waving wildly in the cold breeze.  Then, the flame slowly began to move.  The small boat that the lantern is mounted on begins its trip down river, along with its brethren.  In the humid August night, a young woman steps back from the riverbed.  A few tears slowly trickle down her cheeks as the light disappears amongst so many others.  Nearby, a young couple stand, a light of their own floating away.  Then, they turn away, thoughts rising up and away with the candle's smoke...._

Order and Chaos

An "Our Hogwarts" Fanfiction

Chapter 3; or, How to Start a Quest Without Even Trying

Everyone looked at each other for a moment.  They had just returned from a meeting with the Lord of Nightmares (a goddess of Chaos).  The Lord of Nightmares (or L-sama) had charged one of them, Her priest Mark Powell, with a divine quest: seek out "Her Eight children".  And his friends, having gone on several quests which had involved the fate of the world back in their school days, had basically agreed to accompany him.  The only real problem now was that no one had any idea where to start on this quest.  

"....Well."  Mark said to no one in particular.  "That was spectacularly unhelpful.  At least now we know what we're supposed to do, but no idea how to go about doing it!  Great.  Juuuust great."

"Hey," Aqua interrupted him, "do you mind not griping so much?  I mean, you're the priest of L-sama; it's technically YOUR quest!  And you whining about this is not exactly improving the attitudes of any of the rest of us!!"

"Besides which," Kaimana continued, "didn't She say that you would receive some sort of aid?"  Mark nodded slowly after a moment.  

"Yeah, you're right.  It'd be nice to know _when_ that aid is supposed to be delivered, but that can wait."  At that moment, the clock in the Hogwarts' Teachers' Lounge struck eight.  

"Wait a minute..."  Lee trailed off.  "I know that that whole little conversation couldn't have taken more than about five minutes, ten tops!  And we left at about ten or so.  So, how exactly does five minutes become ten hours?!!"  Mark winced.

"Shit.  I forgot about that!"

"Mark..."  He shivered and slowly turned around.  If Amy was using her 'Voice of Icy Cold Death', she was royally peeved.  And that meant everyone else was probably approaching that point, as well.  Rapidly, he began to explain.

"Look, that was the Sea of Chaos.  CHAOS!  It's inherently unstable!  According to some of the oldest texts I found that deal with L-sama, space and time are more of an afterthought than anything else in that realm.  So time flows at the same rate in there, and it matches up with time in this world.  But there's slight....fluctuations.  So we go in and come out on the same day, but not at exactly the same time.  It's just the way that it works!"

"Fine, fine."  Neptune yawned loudly, then looked a little embarrassed.  "You all can stay up and talk about this some more, but _I_ am going to hit the sack now."  With that, she stepped out, letting the door swing shut behind her.  

"Actually, Neptune's probably got the right idea.  I mean, there's not much else we're going to accomplish tonight, and casting any sort of Giga spell takes a lot out of you.  I'm going to turn in too."  Mark decided.  "Nick, there a spare room I can crash in for tonight?  Or," he grinned momentarily, "Should I just use one of the couches in the Ravenclaw common room, like always?"

The deputy headmaster thought for a moment.  "We actually did set aside some spare bedrooms for everyone, if they wanted to use them."

"Sounds good to me," Mark admitted.  "Though I do feel obliged to ask where this room of mine is?"  Nick nodded, then waved his wand while muttering a few words under his breath.  A small star of light appeared before Mark, hovering at about chest-height.

"Just follow that, and you should be fine."

  
"Right.  Thanks.  Night, all."  Mark kissed Kai goodnight, and headed out the door, following the little star.

**********

_*It was black. Not merely black as in a color, but as in an oppressive, cloying substance that absorbed light and heat, and left only a dead shell behind. In the background, though, a golden sea glistened and splashed. Two men faced each other. One light, one dark, both golden, though one was silver and one was onyx. A woman's voice cried out. A goddess bowed her head in shame. Two auras, identical but opposites collided, and in a flash of light, it all disappeared--*_

--and Mark awoke in his bed in a cold sweat, heart racing.  He hadn't had a dream like that in quite some time, not one that had seemed so real--and one with such a strong sense about it.  He looked around him quickly, sending up a quick Lighting spell to illuminate his room.  Nothing.  In the back of his mind, he could feel Kai sleeping calmly--no indication that she had felt anything unusual.  

_*So,*_ he puzzled, _*I have a dream that wakes me up what's practically a blind panic, but that Kai apparently hasn't noticed, despite our bond.  Which means that the bond was blocked or some such, and there's not much that could do that--except....divine power.  CRAP.*  Mark winced.  "I really hate it when deities feel the need to send you vaguely prophetic dreams.  As if I wasn't already stressed enough about this whole thing...."  He glanced at his watch.  5:30 AM.  "Well, I'm sure not getting back to sleep after that.  Might as well get dressed and roam the castle for old times' sake."_

**********

About an hour later, Mark was wandering the halls, a mug of cocoa in hand.  "Amazing that the old entrance to the kitchens hasn't been found yet.  Or they don't mind enough to seal it up."  He mused to himself as he walked through the school.  Suddenly, he became aware of a steady rapping coming from his right.  He looked over and saw--

"The main gates?"  Mark checked his watch.  "It's 6:30 in the bloody freaking morning?  Who's going to be knocking on the gates at this hour?!"  Still, he went over and opened one of the massive doors.  Standing there, though, was an oddly familiar figure.  He stared at them for a moment, then suddenly seemed to recognize them.

"You!  What are you doing here?!"  The auburn-haired, green-eyed young woman asked in shock.

"Hey, I graduated here with honors, no less!  I'm perfectly within my rights to show up for a surprise alumni visit whenever I please!  On the other hand, I'm pretty sure that I've never seen you before, and I don't think you went here, or I'd remember you.  So what are YOU doing here?  And for that matter--"

"Um, Mark?"  He looked over his shoulder.  Mary was standing there, giving him and the woman a mildly bemused look.  "What, exactly is going on?  No, wait.  Close the door, and then explain."

"Right."  As the young woman stepped inside with a trace of nervousness, Mark closed the door behind her.  "Remember how I told you that someone stopped me on the street and started prophesizing?  This would be them."

"I see."  Mary nodded.  "OK, miss..."

"Um...you can call me Laura."

"Right.  Laura.  Well, you can come this way, have some breakfast with the rest of our little questing party when they wake up, and then we can start with the questions."

"...I see."  Laura looked rather nervous at this point.  Frankly, Mark didn't blame her at all, as Mary's 'hungry jungle cat' smile was easily visible, even from where he was standing.

**********

"All right."  Mark began.  Everyone was up, about, fed, and ready to go.  Nick and Neptune were absent, teaching classes, but everyone else was there (apparently, 'I have to go help save the world' was a legitimate excuse for time off from work).  "Now, Laura?  Mind explaining what was going on with the whole 'hark and beware' thing a couple of days ago?"

Lee sighed.  "Mark, when you're questioning someone, you don't start out that bluntly!  Be smooth!"

"No, that's all right."  Laura interrupted him.  "I guess the best way to put it, is...well, it's a little hard to believe, I'm afraid."

"Hey, I've just had a talk with a deity about going on a divine quest, and know a spell that can disintegrate a mountain.  Not much falls under the category of 'hard to believe' at this point."  Mark pointed out.  "Now, explanations?"

"Very well.  I have something of a talent.  I'm a bard by trade, wandering around, telling tales for a living?"  Everyone nodded, having been in a bar or inn with a bard at one point or another.  Laura acknowledged them, and continued with her story.  "I have a slight advantage over the competition, though.  I can...well, _feel stories.  If some sort of huge quest or adventure is about to happen or happening, I can see a lot of what's going on.  I must say that you all have provided me with some of the best material I've had in a while.  'The Crystal of Light' is one of the more-requested stories I have.  But I digress.  I felt that a quest was on the horizon--something bigger and more important than anything I had ever seen in many years--perhaps as important as 'The Fall of the Dark Lord'.  And in the details, I could sense that a prophecy was needed to get it started.  And once that prophecy was delivered, I could follow the story from there.  Did it work, by the way?"  She suddenly asked Mark._

"Um....sort of.  Not in the way you intended, I get the feeling.  So, let me see if I've got the basics correct here, all right?"  Laura nodded at him.  "You're some sort of magically-powered bard, and you want us to go on this quest to 'find the Forbidden,' so you can make a bestseller out of it.  Right?  ....Are you all right?"  Mark asked suddenly.  

  
Laura's eyes had widened as she sat straight up in her chair.  "I beg your pardon, but what did you say this quest was?"

Mark raised an eyebrow.  "Well, the Lord of Nightmares charged me to find some 'Artifacts of Forbidden Power', and my friends have agreed to help me out.  Why?"  Laura sank back in her chair, skin pale.  

"If...if that's your quest, I suddenly think that I may well be more involved than I first thought."

"Excuse me?"  Kaimana looked hard at the young woman.  "That's just begging for an explanation."

"It's a rather long story..."

"We've got time."  Amy responded smoothly.  

"Very well."  Laura sat up straight, assuming the formal but relaxed stance of a master storyteller.  Then, taking a deep breath, she began, holding each audience members' eyes in turn.

"This story may seem rather odd to you, but I promise you that it is all true.  It begins at the beginning.  The VERY beginning.  There are many legends of the creation, but this one holds that the universe was born out of raw chaos, and life itself was born from that event.  From that, all life sprang, both plants and animals, in the sea, on land, and in the air.  But humans were different.

"The Lord of Nightmares--L-sama--a being of infinite power, appeared for the first time as life itself was begun.  As an expression of purest chaos, She decided that the world should be blessed with a species as chaotic and unpredictable as She was--Her chosen race.  And as such, She created humanity.  But as humanity grew, some of them gained more control over their innate chaos; they were the first mages.  And that is where the problem began.

"Nearly eight hundred years ago, a Dark Wizard embarked on a quest.  He had learned of the Lord of Nightmares, and desired Her power for his own.  To that end, he sought out certain powerful artifacts.  These particular objects were hidden to L-sama for one reason:  together, they possessed the ability to destroy Her.  Only a group of wizards, witches, and other entities, working together for one of the only times in recorded history, were able to stop Salazar Slytherin from his goal.

"L-sama was actually disturbed by these actions, the first to attract Her attention since the creation itself.  Unable to touch the forbidden artifacts herself, She entrusted the heroes with disposing of them.  Over the centuries, the objects were lost, with one appearing about every century or so, only to be forgotten once more.  This was, as you can imagine, of great relief to L-sama.  

"But now something has obviously happened to alarm Her once more.  So, she has ordered her priest, Mark Powell, onto a quest to save Her, and quite possibly our entire world, from the Forbidden."  Laura took a deep breath, breaking the hold her story had had over her audience.  "Does that explain my situation somewhat?"

There was a brief pause, before Neptune responded to the question.  "It...does clear up some stuff, yeah.  But I want to know this:  who, exactly, are you, that you know all of this."  Laura nodded at the professor politely.

"I...this will be difficult to believe, I am afraid.  You see, when L-sama created humanity, several other entities were born with your kind.  They were...embodiments of your species' traits, given a life of their own; they were unique ways that humanity looked at, classified, thought about their world.  These beings would come to call themselves the Endless, eventually, for they would not end, not until the last human had vanished forever.  

"There are seven Endless, each with a different domain:  Death, the kind ending.  Morpheus, king of dreams.  The siblings, Love and Loathing.  Emotion, the embodiment of all feelings.  Luck, queen of chance.  Faith, formed from humanity's need to believe in something.  And the seventh sibling--Lore, who was there when your species first arose, who has seen civilizations rise and fall...and who is now telling you this story, the truth of her origins."

Lore stopped then, head bowed, waiting for some sort of judgement from the group of wizards and witches surrounding her.  Everyone stared at her for a long moment.  Then, Mark spoke.  "OK....wow.  So, um, Lore, do--"

"Please, for now, you can keep calling me Laura.  It's more...human."  

"....right.  So, Laura.  I'm supposed to collect these artifacts, to save the world--AGAIN.  Got any clue as to why....or more appropriately, why _now?"  
  
_

"Not a one."  She stated plainly.  "All that I know is that there must be someone else looking for them, who might well have less altruistic goals then you all would.  And so time IS of the essence."

"Uh-huh."  Lee nodded.  "Do you have any idea where to START looking for the others?  I know you said you don't know where they are, but--"

"I don't know where they all are.  But I know of one of them, the only one to have be seen within the modern age."

"OK."  Mark stood and stretched for a second.  "So, now, we know WHAT we're supposed to do, and we have some sort of idea as to a starting point.  Frankly, we're way ahead of the game at this point."

"So we're going to find this thing, whatever it is?"  Aqua asked rhetorically.

"I guess so.  I mean, I'd hate to let down a deity!"  Mark grinned, prompting everyone else to smile back.  Behind his grin, though, was a cold fear that settled in his gut.  It might just be his cynicism, but he had the feeling it might be one of the last times that he would be able to laugh with his friends....


End file.
